The Effects of Clumping and Substructure on ICM Mass Measurements

We examine an ensemble of 48 simulated clusters to determine the effects of small-scale density fluctuations and large-scale substructure on X-ray measurements of the intracluster medium (ICM) mass. We measure RMS density fluctuations in the ICM which can be characterized by a mean mass-weighted clumping factor C = /^2 between 1.3 and 1.4 within a density contrast of 500 times the critical density. These fluctuations arise from the cluster history of accretion shocks and major mergers, and their presence enhances the cluster's luminosity relative to the smooth case. We expect, therefore, that ICM mass measurements utilizing models which assume uniform density at a given radius carry a bias of order sqrt(C) = 1.16. We verify this result by performing ICM mass measurements on X-ray images of the simulations and finding the expected level of bias. The varied cluster morphologies in our ensemble also allow us to investigate the effects of departures from spherical symmetry on our measurements. We find that the presence of large-scale substructure does not further bias the resulting gas mass unless it is pronounced enough to produce a second peak in the image of at least 1% the maximum surface brightness. We analyze the subset of images with no secondary peaks and find a bias of 9% and a Gaussian random error of 4% in the derived mass.Comment: To appear in ApJ

Galaxy Tracers and Velocity Bias

This paper examines several methods of tracing galaxies in N-body simulations and their effects on the derived galaxy statistics, especially measurements of velocity bias. Using two simulations with identical initial conditions, one following dark matter only and the other following dark matter and baryons, both collisionless and collisional methods of tracing galaxies are compared to one another and against a set of idealized criteria. None of the collisionless methods proves satisfactory, including an elaborate scheme developed here to circumvent previously known problems. The main problem is that galactic overdensities are both secularly and impulsively disrupted while orbiting in cluster potentials. With dissipation, the baryonic tracers have much higher density contrasts and much smaller cross sections, allowing them to remain distinct within the cluster potential. The question remains whether the incomplete physical model introduces systematic biases. Statistical measures determined from simulations can vary significantly based solely on the galaxy tracing method utilized. The two point correlation function differs most on sub-cluster scales with generally good agreement on larger scales. Pairwise velocity dispersions show less uniformity on all scales addressed here. All tracing methods show a velocity bias to varying degrees, but the predictions are not firm: either the tracing method is not robust or the statistical significance has not been demonstrated. Though theoretical arguments suggest that a mild velocity bias should exist, simulation results are not yet conclusive.Comment: ApJ, in press, 23 pages, plain TeX, 8 of 13 figures included, all PostScript figures (4.8 MB) available via anonymous ftp from ftp://astro.princeton.edu/summers/tracers . Also available as POPe-616 on http://astro.princeton.edu/~library/prep.htm

Hydrodynamic simulations of correlation and scatter in galaxy cluster maps

The two dimensional structure of hot gas in galaxy clusters contains information about the hydrodynamical state of the cluster, which can be used to understand the origin of scatter in the thermodynamical properties of the gas, and to improve the use of clusters to probe cosmology. Using a set of hydrodynamical simulations, we provide a comparison between various maps currently employed in the X-ray analysis of merging clusters and those cluster maps anticipated from forthcoming observations of the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. We show the following: 1) an X-ray pseudo-pressure, defined as square root of the soft band X-ray image times the temperature map is a good proxy for the SZ map; 2) we find that clumpiness is the main reason for deviation between X-ray pseudo-pressure and SZ maps; 3) the level of clumpiness can be well characterized by X-ray pseudo-entropy maps. 4) We describe the frequency of deviation in various maps of clusters as a function of the amplitude of the deviation. This enables both a comparison to observations and a comparison to effects of introduction of complex physical processes into simulation.Comment: 7 pages, A&A in pres

Galaxy tracers in N-body simulations

Using the method of smoothed particle hydrodynamics, we have modeled the formation of a compact group of galaxies with sufficient resolution to trace galaxies. Radiative cooling allows the baryons to dissipate their thermal energy and collapse to overdensities characteristic of real galaxies. With their cross section greatly reduced, these galaxy tracers remain distinct during cluster formation while their dark matter halos merge. In addition, the number density, the mass distribution function, and even the morphology of these objects are similar to those of observed galaxies. A viable population of galaxy tracers can be unambiguously defined

Red Sequence Cluster Finding in the Millennium Simulation

We investigate halo mass selection properties of red-sequence cluster finders using galaxy populations of the Millennium Simulation (MS). A clear red sequence exists for MS galaxies in massive halos at redshifts z < 1, and we use this knowledge to inform a cluster-finding algorithm applied to 500 Mpc/h projections of the simulated volume. At low redshift (z=0.4), we find that 90% of the clusters found have galaxy membership dominated by a single, real-space halo, and that 10% are blended systems for which no single halo contributes a majority of a cluster's membership. At z=1, the fraction of blends increases to 22%, as weaker redshift evolution in observed color extends the comoving length probed by a fixed range of color. Other factors contributing to the increased blending at high-z include broadening of the red sequence and confusion from a larger number of intermediate mass halos hosting bright red galaxies of magnitude similar to those in higher mass halos. Our method produces catalogs of cluster candidates whose halo mass selection function, p(M|\Ngal,z), is characterized by a bimodal log-normal model with a dominant component that reproduces well the real-space distribution, and a redshift-dependent tail that is broader and displaced by a factor ~2 lower in mass. We discuss implications for X-ray properties of optically selected clusters and offer ideas for improving both mock catalogs and cluster-finding in future surveys.Comment: final version to appear in MNRAS. Appendix added on purity and completeness, small shift in red sequence due to correcting an error in finding i

The X-ray Size-Temperature Relation for Intermediate Redshift Galaxy Clusters

We present the first measurements of the X-ray size-temperature (ST) relation in intermediate redshift (z~0.30) galaxy clusters. We interpret the local ST relation (z~0.06) in terms of underlying scaling relations in the cluster dark matter properties, and then we use standard models for the redshift evolution of those dark matter properties to show that the ST relation does not evolve with redshift. We then use ROSAT HRI observations of 11 clusters to examine the intermediate redshift ST relation; for currently favored cosmological parameters, the intermediate redshift ST relation is consistent with that of local clusters. Finally, we use the ST relation and our evolution model to measure angular diameter distances; with these 11 distances we evaluate constraints on Omega_M and Omega_L which are consistent with those derived from studies of Type Ia supernovae. The data rule out a model with Omega_M=1 and Omega_L=0 with 2.5 sigma confidence. When limited to models where Omega_M+Omega_L=1, these data are inconsistent with Omega_M=1 with 3 sigma confidence.Comment: ApJ: submitted April 7, accepted June 28, to appear Dec 1 (vol 544

Quantitative Estimates of Environmental Effects on the Star Formation Rate of Disk Galaxies in Clusters of Galaxies

A simple model is constructed to evaluate the change of star formation rate of a disk galaxy due to environmental effects in clusters of galaxies. Three effects, (1) tidal force from the potential well of the cluster, (2) increase of external pressure when the galaxy plows into the intracluster medium, (3) high-speed encounters between galaxies, are investigated. General analysis indicates that the star formation rate increases significantly when the pressure of molecular clouds rises above $\sim 3\times 10^5 cm^{-3} K$ in $\sim 10^8$ yr. The tidal force from the potential well of the cluster increases pressures of molecular clouds in a disk galaxy infalling towards the cluster center. Before the galaxy reaches the cluster center, the star formation rate reaches a maximum. The peak is three to four times larger than the initial value. If this is the main mechanism of the Butcher-Oemler effect, blue galaxies are expected to be located within $\sim 300$ kpc from the center of the cluster. However this prediction is inconsistent with the recent observations. The increase of external pressure when the galaxy plows into the intracluster medium does not change star formation rate of a disk galaxy significantly. The velocity perturbation induced by a single high-speed encounter between galaxies is too small to affect star formation rate of a disk galaxy, while successive high-speed encounters (galaxy harassment) trigger star formation activity because of the accumulation of gas in the galaxy center. Therefore, the galaxy harassment remains as the candidate for a mechanism of the Butcher-Oemler effect.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures. To be published in Ap

Expectations For an Interferometric Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect Survey for Galaxy Clusters

Non-targeted surveys for galaxy clusters using the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (SZE) will yield valuable information on both cosmology and evolution of the intra-cluster medium (ICM). The redshift distribution of detected clusters will constrain cosmology, while the properties of the discovered clusters will be important for studies of the ICM and galaxy formation. Estimating survey yields requires a detailed model for both cluster properties and the survey strategy. We address this by making mock observations of galaxy clusters in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. The mock observatory consists of an interferometric array of ten 2.5 m diameter telescopes, operating at a central frequency of 30 GHz with a bandwidth of 8 GHz. We find that clusters with a mass above $2.5 \times 10^{14} h_{50}^{-1} M_\odot$ will be detected at any redshift, with the exact limit showing a very modest redshift dependence. Using a Press-Schechter prescription for evolving the number densities of clusters with redshift, we determine that such a survey should find hundreds of galaxy clusters per year, many at high redshifts and relatively low mass -- an important regime uniquely accessible to SZE surveys. Currently favored cosmological models predict roughly 25 clusters per square degree.Comment: revised to match published versio

Effects of preheating on X-ray scaling relations in galaxy clusters

The failure of purely gravitational and gasdynamical models of X-ray cluster formation to reproduce basic observed properties of the local cluster population suggests the need for one or more additional physical processes operating on the intracluster medium (ICM). We present results from 84 moderate-resolution gasdynamic simulations designed to investigate systematically the effects of preheating (an early elevated ICM adiabat) on the resultant, local X-ray size-temperature, luminosity-temperature, and ICM mass-temperature relations. Seven sets of 12 simulations are performed for a Lambda CDM cosmology, each set characterized by a different initial entropy level S-i. The slopes of the observable relations steepen monotonically as S-i is increased. Observed slopes for all three relations are reproduced by models with S-i epsilon 55-150 keV cm(2), levels that compare favorably to empirical determinations of core ICM entropy by Lloyd-Davies, Ponman, & Cannon. The redshift evolution for the case of a locally successful model with S-i = 106keV cm(2) is presented. At temperatures kT greater than or similar to 3keV, little or no evolution in physical isophotal sizes or bolometric luminosities is expected to z less than or similar to1. The ICM and total masses at fixed T are lower at higher z, as expected from the virial theorem. ICM mass fractions show a mild T dependence. Clusters with kT less than or similar to 3 keV contain ICM mass fractions depressed by modest amounts (less than or similar to 25%) below the cosmic mean baryon fraction Omega (b)/Omega (m); hot clusters subject to preheating remain good tracers of the cosmic mix of clustered mass components at redshifts z less than or similar to 1.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/60567/1/Bialek2000Effects.pd